Stripes
by pendragon94
Summary: AU Sookie has a much different up bringing, but one thing is always inevitable as she finds Eric and her life takes off faster than she could have ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

The sky is dark, no moon visible and I track the stars as I do every night.

A group of deer are bedding down a short distance away and I continue glancing at the sky as I wait for the right moment. Just as I stop hearing their hooves I slink forward, pressing into the thicket to conceal myself carefully.

It's a snap decision, a large doe not fleeing fast enough before I pounce with a roar and her body twitching while I clamp down on her throat. Useless kicks of her legs go unrewarded and after there's no movement for a second I let her drop, settling into the meal.

I've barely gotten through the hide when I stand to attention, distant sound catching my focus and the fresh kill forgotten as I assess the disturbance. The water is cool against me when I slip into it, silently creeping along around the bend of a crop of trees before I stop, a figure up ahead in the distance between fallen tree trunks. Realizing they are near my hovel, I bound from the water and up an overgrown incline, shaking myself dry as I keep watch on their movements from nearby.

The sound of a warning growl greets my ears as I am only a short distance away, the figure that I now see is a man at the opening to my burrow. "You don't belong here." He mutters, turning and staring right at me.

A change in the wind catches me off guard as he turns, a sweet and spicy scent tingling in my nose and before I know what I'm doing I step forward out of the foliage. My nose high in the air I take several deep breaths, a fog rising in my head as I purr unwillingly and he watches me carefully.

"How did you get here?" It seems more like he's saying it to himself than anyone else.

I cock my head to the side, going silent and lowering to the ground when he steps closer. Baring my teeth, I hiss when I feel he's gotten too close and his reaction surprises me. Fangs appear in his mouth, a growl rumbling in his chest as we both come to a standstill. The scent in the air is still alluring, but I am fighting the intoxicating effects as I try to figure out what he is. His face smooths and the growl dies in his chest suddenly, his mouth closing as he seems to have calmed himself.

Raising his hand, he steps closer and I decide to see what happens since he hasn't really been threatening as of yet. An aura of power floats around him and I recognize him for the predator he is, knowing that he could end me quickly as I see him up close.

A strange shiver goes down my spine, something I recognize as fear which I haven't felt often since I was a cub and I steel myself from moving. Only a few feet away, he leans forward, and I tense as he makes contact.

His fingers are firm but gentle against my fir and for the first time in a long time I feel a mind pressing against my own. I had avoided civilization, living in the swamp, as the thoughts always got annoying after a while but I'm shocked when he is silent.

Only a void of space is where his conscious should be and I twitch, leaning forward slightly as I quite like the silence. There's something about the way he is feeling my fur that makes me feel eased and I decide to go with my gut, which tells me he doesn't actually mean any harm. I'm still cautious, but I twist to sniff his hand and he doesn't object as I realize that the addicting scent in the air is in fact _his_ scent. Surprising us both, I rub my cheek against his palm before sitting back and looking up at him as he straightens.

He pulls something out of his pocket, and it takes me a second to recognize it as a phone. I watch, unsure what to do and stiffen when a woman appears across the clearing behind him. Looking between them, I wonder if he notices and it doesn't seem so as his eyes and hands are focused on the phone.

She gets closer silently and slowly, my tail twitching as I evaluate the potential threat and I reach towards her mind when she's halfway to him. It's another void and I notice hers is much smaller, wondering if that means she's weaker than him which would make sense as she doesn't carry the same air about her as he does. When she's within striking distance I find myself unable to bear it, darting past him with a snarl and lunging for her throat. Her hands shoots out, meeting my chest trying to hold me off as I attack and she hisses when I clamp my jaw down onto her arm. My teeth sink in and I mentally smirk, knowing she's not prepared when white light erupts from where I'm biting.

Arms wrap around my stomach from behind, squeezing not painfully but forcefully enough to make me release from the destroyed flesh of the woman. It's the blond man, his scent surrounding me as he jumps back releasing me before placing himself between us. "That is my child. She is to be trusted." He says it slowly and sternly, as though I am an ignorant animal, which while I understand his mistake I don't appreciate it and huff when he's done. Flattening my ears, I turn my head away from him petulantly and he seems surprised. "You're smart, aren't you?" Saying it quickly, he doesn't appear any happier than before when I nod once in response and he turns to the woman after a quiet moment.

"What the fuck, Eric?" She demands, looking down at the flesh healing slowly.

"It would seem that she likes me. I did not know she could do that."

"She? How do you know it's even a she when it's obviously not your average tiger?"

"I can tell, and you will do well to respect her. Had you been unprepared, she could have beheaded you." Turning to me, he watches for a minute before putting his phone away and holding his hand out. "Do you want to come with me?" The question hangs in the air as I consider it stoically before finally turning to face him fully and standing to follow. "Get my cars all fitted with durable seat covers." He orders the woman and she rolls her eyes looking exasperated but leaves to presumably do so.

Giving me an odd look, he starts moving suddenly and I sprint after him as he moves faster than I thought possible. It feels good, the challenge to keep up as I haven't had such a good run in a while. Going further than I normally do, we end up passing the point where I've travelled before and awhile later I watch him ahead as he jumps over a strange wall of greenery. Leaping easily, I skitter to a halt when I find myself in a paved parking lot, slinking back against the wall as he doesn't stop and disappears from view. I'm unsure, torn between going back and continuing into the city, but I don't have to debate for long when Eric appears before me again.

"At this hour most humans are asleep, come along." Taking a step forward, I calm myself and follow as he goes at a brisk pace, traveling down past several streets. The minds around are muted, few stirring or actively moving about so my weak shields are able to hold up without failing. He goes down an alley and I follow closely, on his heels before we end up at the back of a black stone building. Several voids are inside, and I feel on edge as I go inside the door he holds open. Keeping close to him, we end up in what I guess is his place of business, and he sits at a desk before typing onto a keyboard.

Keyboards the last time I'd seen were rather large, with paper usually deposited into the top, but this one is almost flat and has wires going into a large flat display screen in front of him. The images on the screen are clear, and I watch as pictures of tigers are suddenly covering the screen. He glances at them, then me, and seems to watch for my reaction. "You look almost Siberian, but you're too large." When he mutters, I realize he's trying to place my breed and I roll my eyes in amusement. "So what, you're not any of these?" Blankly returning his look, he seems to think before his eyes widen minutely. "You're something else entirely, aren't you?"

I smirk and he leans back with surprise at seeing a tiger legitimately smile before I jump over to his couch, laying across it despite the groans of protest from the frame.

He's standing suddenly and I am sure I look surprised as he growls. "What the fuck are you?"

Jumping up, he tenses but doesn't react as I approach and I purr before rubbing against his leg like a house cat.

"Are you being funny?" The disbelief in his tone makes me snort, unable to laugh in this form and I almost lay down beside his couch when the woman from before comes in.

"No pets allowed." She snips, glaring at me after giving him a heated look as well and she looks surprised when I growl back.

"Respect, Pamela, she is smarter than we think." He tells her and she looks dubious before ignoring me and focusing on him.

"Orders were made for covers and I switched your Corvette for the SUV, just in case you want to drive home."

"Anything I need to know before departing for the night?" He asks, and she thinks for a second.

"There were a few reports of a strange creature moving around Bon Temps, something with horns and claws but apparently in the form of a man. Merlotte was the one who reported it, along with a few humans who apparently seen it but were drunk so their statements were more or less ignored human authorities."

Nodding, he pulls a paper from his desk and signs it. "I'm going to go visit Godric, let me know if I need to return for any reason. Here's the two week order for you to run things." She takes it with a grin and he levels her with a serious look. "Do not let it go to your head like last time."

"Of course not, never." The tone of her voice says otherwise and I see him see struggle internally for a second before turning to me.

"Let's go." Rising, I follow without hesitation while deciding that being inside wasn't too bad and he holds the doors for me to go outside. A black SUV lights up when he hits a button on the key in his hand and he looks at me. "Get in, if you're going with me to Texas." Looking him over, I consider my options. I could always run away, pop back to the swamp and my hole in the hillside, but in the end I decide otherwise. The back cargo door opens and he folds down the seats to give me a flat surface to lay on.

Getting my balance, I wonder how much the car dipped and settled in making sure my tail is clear before he closes the door. Appearing in the driver seat a second later, he turns the key in the ignition and doesn't say anything as he starts out to the main road. It occurs to me that I should mark him, should we get separated for any reason, and I stare at the exposed skin of his arm. Crawling forward, I get my head close enough and run the tip of my tongue over his arm for an inch. He doesn't seem to feel the small light that absorbs into his skin, only looking at me uncertainly for a minute before returning to driving as I've laid back down.

We end up driving towards a more wooded area, turning onto a nicely paved two lane road that curves off into the trees, and after a while we pull into a large open field. On the far side is a series of buildings, and I see a few planes parked around. "We will be flying. Are you okay with that?" Nodding after a minute, I check the link I formed and find his location pinging clearly right in front of me. Watching closely, I stay in his shadow and we head to the largest plane I see parked in front of the nearest buildings. The metal stairs up to it are shaky and I don't like them but climb up anyway, not wanting to back down now that I've gone this far.

There's no one else on board, the pilot a void and a stewardess staying in a back room unless the call button is pressed. The cabin area is open, only a few rows of plane seats at the front and back and I wonder if he owns it. He sits at a padded bench seat next to a window, and I settle onto the floor nearby as things start to move.

My ears hurt slightly at the loud engines, but I tune it out after a while, laying as still as I can during the takeoff and landing. Eric is on his phone the whole way, occasionally looking at me but not really paying attention as far as I can tell while he speaks in different languages.

The air is dry when we step out onto a loud field of pavement, patterns of lights and paint on the ground all over with large buildings lined up in different areas. "We will have to walk through a public area, but I have arranged for transport to avoid the human's interference. Stay with me and try not to attack anyone. We are meeting Stan and Isabelle." There's a strange tone to his voice, and I examine his back as we walk for a minute before getting a feeling that this trip is a test of some sort.

I'm no stranger to gawking, sitting still next to Eric until we go through a set of double doors and get off of the airport cart we're on to get into another SUV.

A man and woman, both voids, are sitting up front. Only half of the back seat is folded down, and it provides me enough room with my head resting on the folded seat to the left of Eric's lap. "You said you were bringing a tiger, but that is no normal tiger I've seen. It's rather large." The woman says with an accent and an oddly inviting tone, the man glaring back in the mirror but not speaking as we pull out of the airport area. Everyone is silent until we get into an upscale neighborhood, pulling into a large house and ending up in a large empty living room with a glass wall revealing a meticulously groomed back yard.

"What is wrong, Stan?" Eric asks, seeming to know something is off, and the woman watches carefully as Stan speaks.

"Godric is missing, he went two nights ago to try and speak with a man from the Fellowship, and has not returned." The thunderous snarl from Eric's chest sets me on edge, and my fur prickles, unable to help my reaction as I pace in a circle behind him.

"You let him go alone?" He demands of Stan.

Isabelle steps in, stopping Eric from getting any closer to the other male. "This is not the time, and Godric would not let us come anyway. He flew off so we couldn't follow." Wondering if she meant that he actually did fly away, I stow the question for later as Eric turns and charges to a different room. Not sure what to do I watch him go, and meet Isabelle's gaze as she's watching me carefully. "What are you?" She whispers, and I find myself enamored with her, a strange sense of familiarity suddenly overcoming me.

Stan is walking out a moment later, and I know that Eric hasn't gone far so I stay put, Isabelle stepping closer after a second.

"Do you know Godric?" She wonders aloud, and I shake my head once, surprising her. "So you _are_ something else." Standing straight, she disappears, returning a second later with something in her hand. There's a strange look on her face, and I realize she seems to be having an internal battle, coming to some conclusion when she crouches slightly. "Do you know what a maker is?" When I shake my head she continues. "We are vampires, and our maker is the one who turns us into what we are. They are our parent, our mentor and teacher, and we have a bond with them that cannot be broken except by the true death. Godric is quite old, and Eric has been his child for over a thousand years. He has never released Eric, despite most vampires being released by the time they a few hundred years old. Do you understand?" There's a strange look on her face, and I tilt my head for a second before sitting and nodding.

While I might not have the same parental figure in my past, I know that a thousand years is no small time to have followed someone loyally. I can only imagine what Eric might be experiencing, and decidedly want to remedy the situation as I assume Isabelle already has that in mind as well.

"Should I show you where they may have taken him, would you be able to find him? This shirt has his scent." She holds it out and I take a deep breath, memorizing it before turning and waiting by the front door expectantly. "You won't tell him you're leaving?"

The blank look I give her is answer enough, and she opens the door for us to go outside. She's not nearly as fast as Eric and I keep up easily, stopping at the top of a large hill and staring down the steep embankment at what she claims to be a large church. "He should be somewhere inside, probably in a basement area to avoid sunlight." Nodding, I give her a glance before popping down to the back of a building that I can see from here. The door is propped open, the light from inside giving it away from a distance, and I push it open to slip inside.

Humans are everywhere, but mainly in are large communal area as it seems they are having an event for the church members. Finding what I want in the minds of several guards I get into the basement unnoticed, managing to paw open the final door and going into the dark room before securing it behind me. My eyes adjust after a second and I see a young man standing within a large cage. He is watching me closely and I step up to the edges, his focus locked to me as I move.

"You smell of my child." He comments and I pop behind the bars confident he won't hurt me. Nudging my forehead against his side, he seems surprised but doesn't notice when I mark him as I had done to Eric, putting his hand to my head gingerly after a second. Taking the opportunity, I teleport us straight to the outside of the house where I feel that Eric is in the back and he looks down at me shocked. "You are very useful." Smirking, I walk forward and he opens the door for me as we enter. Eric is there a second later, kneeling before him and looking at me accusingly. "Rise, child."

"Master, how did you free yourself? I was prepared to come and provide assistance."

"This creature got to me first. What is she?" He asks, and I jump onto the couch, tired from teleporting someone else a distance.

"I'm not sure. I found her in the swamp earlier this night and brought her with me as it seems she likes me."

"You don't even know what she can do, and you just brought her along?" Eric sees the implication and shakes his head.

"She's smarter than a normal tiger, and you should have seen her in the swamp. When she scented me it was like catnip, she fucking _purred._ "

The older vampire looks me over again, and is suddenly an inch away, his eyes boring into mine as he has crouched to my level. He stiffens suddenly and I sense that he is at least twice Eric's age, making me wonder if he knows what I am. "Perhaps you are right. I wonder where she came from though." Godric muses, glancing at his child who looks equally as curious about the answer. "Maybe I'll keep her here." He says suddenly, surprising me and I growl before lumbering over to Eric's side and sitting at his feet. "Yes, just as I thought. Sweetie, I was only joking about keeping you."

"Sweetie?" Eric asks, questioning Godric's new moniker for me.

"Well, yes, just look at her. She obviously likes you. So what are you going to do with Sweetie?"

Not speaking for a moment, Eric's hand falls to my shoulder and I look up at him slightly as he pets down my back an inch. I twitch when his fingers bump over my scars and he stops when I lean away before muttering darkly. "Who did that?" Turning my face away I can feel his gaze burning on the side of my head before he turns back to Godric and speaks purposefully. "She will go home with me now that I see you approve, and I will do my best to discern any wants of hers."

"Shouldn't be too hard… after a while." I flick my eyes to Godric and he meets my look, informing me that he knows exactly what I am. Eric misses this, watching instead as his maker leaves to speak with the others.

"We'll stay the night, leave tomorrow, and then I'll take you to my home to get situated." Following passively, I move without protest as he leads me down the far hallway. In another room, I see that there is a large elevator set into the wall, and he takes me inside hitting a series of buttons as soon as the doors close. It's much more advanced then the elevators I seen a long time ago, smoothly gliding downward without any lurching or jostling. A strangely empty scent reaches my nose as the doors open, the only thing detectable being a few vampires. It's odd, since usually there is also the scents of fabric, dust, and typical household scents but there are none here.

A short hallway is in front of us, three doors down each side, and he takes us to the last one on the left. Godric's room I scent is in the center room, with Isabelle and Stan in the rooms closest to the elevator. The other two rooms smell empty, and Eric doesn't falter as he enters a code into the doorknob keypad then pushes it open. Once it's closed behind us I hear loud clicks as it seems to secure shut for the day, and I examine the room.

It's large, an enormous bed set into a corner with a large flat TV on a solid wood table at the base. Dressers and two wardrobes are in the opposite corner, a door to the bathroom set into one wall which he goes into for a shower. When he exits the bathroom, I am lounging on the foot of the large bed since there's plenty of room and I turn away as he's completely naked. I'm almost certain that he smirked before going to the dresser and finding clothes for himself.

He lays in the bed an hour before sunrise, the entire house and himself included silent as I sense a few voids also going immobile around us. Resting my head on the bed, I feel safer than I have in a long time resting near Eric, the silence of no humans being around another added comfort as I rest.

That is, until several beings enters my radius, and I yawn loudly as I wake flexing carefully on the expensive sheets. I balloon my mental radius rapidly as I sit up, feeling on duty as I glance over the minds of the werewolves coming onto the property from all sides. There are seven, their specific thoughts hard to discern, but their intent all I need to feel with its savagery putting me on edge. Popping to the foyer, I decide that I will wait, since killing them outside might create a spectacle for anyone going by. From what I can sense, the houses in the immediate radius are all empty leaving me wondering if the vampires bought them, but there is still an active road to consider.

Sure enough, I feel them against the sides of the house, a mind soon coming in through a back door. Luckily, the first four inside do not expect me and they are dispatched quickly although I am sorry to Godric that it has to be on the carpet since the fatal neck wounds mean they are bleeding out. Spitting out a glob of red, I slink back behind the corner as the fifth comes in, the other two coming behind him since they smelled the blood. Crouching, I wait, springing on him as soon as he comes in and he shouts in surprise as I tear into the arms he throws up to shield against me. My teeth lock to his throat, a sharp jerk and shake enough to finish him as I hear the other two werewolves shifting to my left. They are less than half my size, obviously intimidated but also cocky as it seems they think they can finish me with teamwork.

One of them shoots off to the left, intending to circle around through another room to go into the living room at my back while his companion distracts me. Not realizing what is happening, I leap to tackle the wolf I'm left with and he grabs my forearm between his teeth as I take him down sideways. A crack tells me that something broke from the impact of my much larger size and I rip away, likely doing more damage to myself than necessary before ending him. The other wolf, hearing the ending yelp of his pack mate circles back, their plan obviously thrown to the wind since only one is left. He is not ready when I jump forward towards him, teeth bared and claws brandished to finish him, but he manages to scramble backward leading to me only slashing across his chest. Blood spatters the room and I am annoyed, since I had wanted to contain the carnage to as few rooms as possible. Moving quickly, I finish the wolf and progress to survey the damages.

When Eric emerges from the basement, he finds me laying on a couch which was already blood spattered, so I had figured why not. His eyes land to me and he goes still as he assess the dead werewolf, Godric, Stan and Isabelle coming up behind him a moment later. Coming closer, his step actually falters when he sees the six other dead werewolves near the back door before he moves to come up in front of me. "They tried to come for us?" Godric questions, appearing next to Eric before he can speak, and I nod once. "Very well then, my thanks, do not feel bad for the damage."

"You are harmed." Eric mutters, his hand suddenly taking my paw and stretching my leg out before he appears to even think about it. The wolf had damaged a large area of my skin, blood staining my fur dark brown. Pulling my leg away, I pop to stand across the room, not wanting him to be bothered since I'll heal within a day or two and then realize that this is the first time he's seen me teleport. "What are you?" He asks, stepping closer and I look towards his maker.

"She is very special and you would do well to take care of her. She will let you into her secrets on her own time." He tells Eric and continues before anything can be said. "When does your plane leave?"

"Two hours." His reply is automatic, answering his maker who nods and looks to Isabelle who appeared behind him a moment before. "Just enough time. File seventeen from my desk, if you would, Isabelle."

"Seventeen? You're sure?" She asks seriously, and he nods once before she disappears to return a minute later. The file in her hand is blue, and she includes a pen as she hands it over, Eric watching curiously as his maker signs several papers and hands it back to Isabelle. Looking at both of us, Godric speaks as the female vampire leaves the room again but doesn't return this time. "I will be coming with you, and I have just resigned from all of my workings here in Texas."

"Godric?" Eric sounds more curious than anything, and is as still as a statue as he's leveled with a look that obviously means more than I know.

"My child, you know how I have been in recent times. My interest is ignited, and I wish to be near you as events unfold. I'll go pack my things." After a second I see Eric relax, and wondering at what just went unsaid, I follow Eric when he walks outside a minute later.

"You should take my blood." He says to me and I blink, surprised that he would propose such a thing. "It will heal you, as well as allow me to find you and feel your emotions. It would likely make you feel stronger as well, what do you think?"

I know what vampire blood does as I am finally remembering the things I'd learned as a child, my time on the couch licking my wounds having been spent working to find those memories. It worked to an extent, although a lot of my knowledge feels spotty. Despite the energy it expended, I find myself more aware overall after I forced the recollection through my light to gain what I wanted to know. Debating it with myself for several minutes, I set up a series of shields, deciding that I'll just have to limit my telepathy for a bit.

Finally giving a nod, I sit still and don't react when fangs click and appear in his mouth, his wrist coming up to his mouth before he bites a second later. "Open." He mutters, blood on his lips, and I turn my head up with my mouth open to let him hold his arm out. Several sweet and coppery drops hit my tongue, and I feel it racing through me, the slight pain of my injuries easing away quickly. Shaking my head from the slight high I get for a minute, I find him located at the edge of my mind sitting between the second and third barrier, where he can find me easily but only feel the strongest of emotions. Not seeming to realize that we just completed our first bond, he just watches, smiling slightly when he senses I am no longer hurt.

Our journey to the airport is quick once Godric is ready, and the plane is the same one we flew in on. The vampires sit beside each other, talking in a rambling language I can't name, but I can fully understand what they say for some reason.

"Pamela does not know I am coming back early, so I will let her have run of things for the time being. I've contacted Alcide, a werewolf who does construction rather reliably and is indebted to me due to his father's gambling habits. It shouldn't take more than a few days to do what I want. Will you be staying with me?" Eric inquires, and his maker considers it for a long moment.

"I will until I find myself a suitable residence to purchase for myself."

"I'll have my dayman draw up a selection of suitable estates and deliver the details to us tomorrow day." Looking at where I'm lying down, I meet his gaze and lift my head. "My dayman does menial tasks for me during the day, his name is Bobby. He's a head shorter than me, dark hair and a bit stuck up so don't eviscerate him for stepping on your tail or anything." Snorting at the tease, I put my head back down and dose off, only coming back to full awareness when we land.

As of late I've found myself more easily able to sleep than I did before, and I wonder if it's because of the sense of safety I have around Eric. He makes me feel welcome, which despite even times when I've gotten an invitation, I've never actually felt welcome before and I find that I like it. Godric is old, I can feel a great power about him, but there's something almost fatherly to the way he watches me at times.

The ride in the SUV is quiet, and I memorize the route to Eric's house even as my thoughts come and go quickly, one after the next.

A lot of consideration goes into my decisions, and I stow my musings away for later when we pull onto a pristinely paved private driveway. It twists through a forest before being perfectly straight for a while, and then curves slowly in a quarter circle to have us suddenly drive into a large open area. The yard is at least a couple acres, a perfect circle with a house set at the back, a single story made of dark rustic bricks. Windows that look like mirrors are dotted along the walls, the front door a large solid wood, and I notice the signs of an underground level. The driveway curves around the edge on one side of the yard and we park in a garage on the side of the house, the garage door closing immediately behind us. It's spacious, plenty of room for the back door of the SUV to open and I step down onto the smooth concrete looking over his other vehicles. There are three fancy looking sports cars in blue, black and bright red and I barely notice the two motorcycles parked beyond the cars before we go in through a large steel door.

Black tile is flawlessly laid out across the kitchen, a darker grey going up the walls decoratively around the cabinets and a light grey covering the walls and ceiling. It's all chrome and shiny, appearing to have never been used, and the scent saying the same thing. Eric's scent is everywhere, but I don't detect much else apart from the house itself and a few areas where Pam has frequented. Godric glances around curiously and they stop to get into the fridge where I scent human blood is stored while I go through an archway into a dining room. The long carved wooden table looks old and worn, but fits perfectly with the large landscape paintings on the walls and the rich brown paint tying everything together. Dark brown carpet with subtle black patterns goes from the dining room into the entryway where the front door is opposite of a staircase spiraling downward into the ground mysteriously. On the far wall is another archway, and going in my paws sink into lush maroon carpet, a library taking up this entire side of the house on this floor. Bookcases go from floor to ceiling, but only about two thirds of the shelves are full as the books are scattered around the room in seemingly no order.

A familiar sweetness is in the air in this room and I look out one of the windows that breaks up the bookcases, observing the yard on this side of the house while I enjoy the smell of Eric mixed with all of the books. As soon as I'm comfortable, I could see myself spending lots of daytime in this room, shifted so that I may read the books easily.

Venturing from the library a few minutes later, I trot down the stairs into the underground and am surprised by how large it is. A kitchen and dining area is set into one third of the room, the rest looking like a modern lounge. Several doors are set into different walls, and I detect Eric's scent strongly inside one of the rooms. There's a large number of small keys set into a panel on the wall next to his door, and I wonder how to get inside before deciding to wait until he opens the door. He appears when I'm familiarizing myself with a particularly comfortable couch against the wall, and he smirks without saying anything before going to the refrigerator in the kitchen area. My nose twitches at the scent of human blood, and I sit up, looking as he pours the thick red into a glass on the counter before putting it into the microwave.

Remembering a faint knowledge of vampires, I easily come to terms with what he needs to survive and he doesn't seem to mind me prowling around his legs as he pulls the glass out and stirs it quickly. Glancing mischievously around, I wait for him to step, darting to trip him up. He catches himself easily, giving me a questioning look for a second before appearing across the room a split second later and opens the door into his bedroom. It appears that he wants to close it before I can get in, but I see his floor clearly, and he frowns when he turns and sees me lying there. "You are quite intrusive." Snorting without thought, he pauses for only a second after hearing the gesture before going about getting a shower in the next room.

A laptop appears next to him as he rests on his bed, leaning back and typing away as he works slowly. He doesn't move or say anything when I slink up onto the other side of the bed at the end, giving him plenty of room and I'm impressed that the bed holds me without protest. It's larger than any normal bed I've ever seen and I realize it must be custom, although I'm not surprised since it is obvious he has plenty of money to throw away on such amenities.

The computer is put away suddenly a while later, and he returns to the bed, lying back with his hands clasped over his chest before closing his eyes. "Do not scratch apart my house while I'm resting." He mutters when I'm half asleep, and I ignore the jab, letting myself drift off as he dies for the day.

When I wake I am alone, surprised that Eric was able to move away without disturbing me whenever he left and I am shocked when I feel a stab at my connection to him. It's no wonder that I awoke so suddenly. Teleporting without thought I land in the woods near the house, my eyes training to the yard as I scent Eric's blood. I see him bound with something that is burning into his wrists and fire ignites in my veins as I see red. Several of the men cry out in shock when I leap from the brush with a roar, charging forward while collecting my light in my mouth. When I clamp onto the shoulder of the man I assume to be the leader, it sinks into his flesh and when I pull away it is eating at him like acid while I make for Eric.

I'm halfway to the vampire when I taste the blood of the one I'd already bitten and realize that he is fae, and I move a step faster as I know that my light will not affect him for long. Eric's sitting on the ground slouched over with his arms behind his back as he lifts his head, his eyes widening as he sees me barreling towards him fiercely. Something sears into my back leg and falters my step but I persevere, ignoring the harsh pain and throwing myself at Eric as I hear popping all around us. My teleport is seconds before I sense someone coming up behind me.

The vampire lands next to me as I snarl, writhing and digging my leg into the ground as I panic to dislodge what feels like an iron blade, rational thought overrun with an instinct to get away from whatever is harming me. I'm surprised when he suddenly has a hand to my side, holding me immobile for a second when I feel the removal of the iron and slump down in exhaustion still panting. "Are you alright?" I miss his words the first time, hearing but not comprehending until he suddenly appears crouching only a few inches from my face to repeat himself.

It takes a moment for me to move before shakily standing up, his presence looming over me as I do so, not sure what he plans to do since his home is obviously compromised. I realize I brought us back to my swamp, my burrow barely visible against the hillside which I almost step towards when I sense someone approaching and start to growl. "It's just Godric." Eric says and I relax, decidedly laying on the ground as I feel drained.

The elder vampire comes through the brush a second later, his eyes on Eric but then immediately on me when he's on his knees next to me a second later. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Eric starts, surprising Godric who looks up at him. "Really, I just was stepping outside to take a call not long after you left. Somehow I couldn't sense them and they silvered me right before she popped in and popped us here to get away. Her teleport left the silver behind, but one of them stabbed her with an iron blade." Godric's brow furrows before he turns back to me, glancing over my leg before meeting my eye again.

"How did they find you?" I shake my head, not sure how he knows but deciding to accept it.

"Why would they want her?" Eric demands, stepping over my head to stand on my other side, and for the first time I feel quite small as he and his maker tower above me. The feeling is something that I don't understand, unsettling me and making my shield drop without hesitation. Eric's face snaps down to mine as his eyes widen, and I hear him mutter 'what the fuck' to himself as I'm sure he is suddenly much more able to feel me.

"What?" Godric asks, not understanding.

"She took my blood in Dallas, and I could feel a bit from her, but it just got a lot clearer for no reason." He seems perplexed, and I try to re-shield the link but am unable.

"She probably couldn't maintain a block with as weak as the iron made her."

"What do you mean block?" I can see it, his irritation rising and the building tension coming off him in waves as I hang my head and know where this is inevitably going.

"Eric?" There's a strange tone to Godric's voice a second later and I look back up, seeing that Eric is staring down at me with a blank expression while his maker seems worried.

"She feels defeated." His voice is flat, and I drop my head again, not sure what else to do as uncertainty grips me for the first time in I don't know how long. "Hey!" He says it loudly, making me flinch and stare up at him in frozen shock.

"Eric!" Godric sounds scolding, but Eric doesn't move for a moment, staring into my eyes before looking up at his maker finally. "Go secure a new resting place and I will keep watch here until you call me."

Looking like he wants to argue he frowns but I can see that he's restraining himself before giving me a long look and disappearing.

"Do not hold it against him, he does not yet understand. But I know you do." I nod and he sits on the ground next to me. "Would you show me?" He asks quietly, unexpectedly, and I freeze next to him at the thought. "Should my suspicions be correct, Eric will most likely try to claim you as his once he inevitably sees your human form."

I had known this already, and I shake my leg, assessing the damage before stepping up and feeling out mentally to assure we're alone. His jacket appears on my back, my hands clutching the edges and holding it close as it goes all the way to my knees when I stand. My hair falls almost to my ankles, and I brush it out of my face with one hand to see him staring back at me unblinking. "Hi… Godric." My voice is hoarse and I clear my throat, smiling after a second.


	2. Chapter 2

"You are stunning." I feel a heat creeping up my neck and his eyes don't break from my face. "What is your age?"

Thinking for a second I try to recall the exact number of winters I've gone through without shifting before finally speaking. "I should be about sixty by my own count while my body is stuck at twenty three, but I was born on earth over three hundred years ago. Time in the fairy world doesn't go at the same rate as here." I shiver, the cold creeping in and I find it unusual as the cold doesn't usually bother me, glancing around for a second.

"Are you able to mask your scent?" I notice that his eyes are partially dilated and take a step back, shaking my head. "It would be best not to run from any vampire, not that I intend to harm you, but your scent would make a young vampire practically hypnotized. Not to mention the instinct to chase what runs away is strong in vampires." There's a strange tone to the last part, almost like he's reminiscing in his head and I wonder about it.

Nodding, I examine his face for a second. "You know what I am?"

"Yes, I am quite old. In my youth I met some fae and it took a moment but I was able to place your scent as being very similar to theirs. The teleporting also gave it away." His smirk makes me also smile, relaxing for a breath when I hear a branch snap nearby, shifting back to all fours instantly with a growl.

Searching out I find a human in the distance, dissecting his thoughts a bit more forcefully than I should to see he is just hunting gators. Sweeping over the headache I might have left I try to soothe it before pulling free and returning to myself. He understands it's nothing when I sit, removing the long jacket from my shoulders and looking towards the hole in the side of the hill. "I am sorry you were forced to stay here for so long."

He can see the dismissiveness in the way I stand, not having ever minded my seclusion, and he remains quiet for a while longer before suddenly standing. "Eric is calling me." I follow him through the forest, saying goodbye once more to the territory I once claimed.

We end up at what looks like a very nice hotel, following Godric up to the entrance without hesitation as I sense lots of voids and strange minds inside. A largely built male vampire is sitting inside, his chair pointed at the large black sliding glass door and looking up at us as soon as it automatically opens. His hair is jet black and his brown eyes bore into me as I lumber with a slight limp behind Godric. He rises, but the ancient vampire in front of me raises his hand. "This is my pet. There is no worry." There's a tense moment when I'm not sure what will happen, but the vampire sits back down, waving his hand for us to continue. The room we're in looks like a lounge, vampires scattered around with some humans and a few werewolves.

Eyes everywhere turn and stare at us as we make our way through, turning around a corner where I see a desk with a worker at the end of the long hallway. I notice that we pass through a strange barrier halfway and that another entrance with humans loitering around sits next to where Godric stops to talk to one of the woman behind the desk. After a moment they hand him a key card, a number embossed on the surface in black letters with a red background and we move to enter an elevator as soon as he's secured it in his pocket. The elevator lights tell me that we stop at the floor just below the top, and it opens to an empty hallway with only a single door on each of the three walls ahead.

We go all the way to the end, ignoring the rooms on the sides as he slides the card key into a slot above the door knob. A loud clank sounds before he turns the handle, the heavy black door swinging silently inward and Godric going in immediately with me following.

A small kitchen area is at the far wall, several baskets and canisters of food available to eat and two refrigerators on either side of a countertop. There's a large circular couch around a short table in the center of the room, the fabric a pristine white and the rest of the large room in black, white and chrome all looking very modern. The plush carpet is black with red patterns, a nice contrast to everything else with the splash of color and he goes to a door on the left wall.

"You can stay in here." He says after a moment, leaving the door open for me to go in when I'm ready and I spy a large bed in the center of that room. "Eric's room is over there, I will also stay here tonight and you are welcome to come in if you wish, but I do believe it will auto-lock after sunrise so that we may rest securely. This is a special room, with no windows, and reinforced walls and doors so that we should be completely safe. Do not try to teleport as the wards in here will stop you, and you'll just weaken yourself, which is why Eric got us this suite as fae are unable to teleport in and out. There should also be no indication that you would come to a place like this, so it shouldn't be suspected." He rambles on as he goes to pull a cup from a small tray on the counter and opens the fridge to pull out a large bottle of red, pouring himself a drink as I turn towards my room with interest. A microwave is atop one of the refrigerators and he places the glass inside while I go through the doorway to the room.

Kicking the door shut behind me, I decidedly shift to human, looking myself over as I hadn't truly done this in a long while. There's two doors on the wall to my left, a dresser next to a desk and chair on my right. The bed in the center is large and after assessing any physical changes I've undergone since the last time I seen myself I go to open the other doors and see that one is a closet while the remaining one is a bathroom. Showering feels nice and I hear my room door open when I'm rinsing my hair of the shampoo that was provided. "I'm leaving clothing for you here, if you're interested." I hear Godric call out, relaxing as I hear the door shut again and finishing before drying and going out into the room.

Several soft blue t-shirts of different shades are laid atop each other next to several pairs of soft pants, stretchy waists making them easy to keep on even though they feel a size larger than I need. I'm surprised that there are also undergarments and that everything seems to be made for women, wondering how he managed to get these things so fast. A duffel bag sits by the pillow, a few different pairs of shoes as well as more clothing inside. A plastic bag is in the center where I find a hairbrush and a toothbrush with toothpaste that I take to the bathroom to put to use.

"You did a good job on my sizes, any pants in the future could be slightly smaller, but everything feels very nice. Thank you." I comment, pulling my door shut with one hand while I'm looking down to adjust my shirt, looking up as my door snaps shut.

"Good, I tried to judge as close as I could to the right fit." He gestures to a metal cart with wheels by the front door and I smell food, checking under the covers to find an impressive variety. "You can leave whatever you don't want, I'll put the cart out before dawn, and I suggest you get some sleep after eating." Nodding, I sit down across from him with a plate and a fork, eating as he asks me random questions while reading a book in his hands.

After another plate and firing off my own round of questions about the hotel and the city, as well as about how a few things in the building work when the obvious occurs to me as I'm putting my plates on the cart. "Where is Eric?" I can sense in our tie that he's a fair distance away and I think it's towards his bar.

Looking up from his book, Godric's eyes look far away for a second before he sighs. "It feels like he is calculating and making plans of some sort. Do be prepared if he does something foolish later, since he has not yet come to understand everything." Nodding, I take another look around the room before I idly snap my fingers without thought to clean things up and feel another blush as Godric looks mildly surprised. Excusing myself for the night, I go before he can comment and end up stretching out across my new bed.

It's firm but soft and I sink right in, barely noticing when the second void enters the hotel room and I pass out into a dreamless sleep until I wake the next night feeling much more refreshed. The disfigured flesh on my leg that had been partially healed after my shower to clean it the previous night has now almost completely smoothed out, only a small ache leftover similar to a bruise.

Brushing my hair to get out the tangles, I find a container of elastic hairbands as well as a pair of scissors. Gathering it carefully I cut it just below my hips and get it into a half decent braid after several attempts. I put everything away quickly, going out into the main room without hesitation only to stop short as I spot Eric standing next to Godric with a glass in his hand, his body tensing when he sees me. I berate myself for somehow not even thinking to check my surroundings, and realize that I must just be that comfortable with Godric, stowing that away in my mind as Eric speaks. "Who are you?"

I give a small smile after a second, unable to help myself, "Usually, I have stripes."

His eyes widen and he takes a step forward, "What are you?" The demanding tone catches me off guard and I feel offended when his glamour presses ineffective against my mind.

"Eric, you are downright disrespectful at times." He looks surprised, and chagrined at his maker's words, turning away from me and I snort a laugh before Godric speaks.

"She is fae, which she was prepared to tell you before you so rudely tried to influence her." Smiling, I silently thank him and he inclines his head in understanding as Eric turns back towards me.

"Fairy, I do apologize." I'm surprised as Eric's squared up his shoulders and faced me honestly. "It was out of line, but I am rather eager to know more about the swamp tiger that likes me. Maybe your name?"

I know a blush creeps up my cheeks as he grins salaciously, his scent having a similar effect to when I am a tiger but not as strong. "My name is Sookie." I'm not sure why, but saying my name is like opening a floodgate, quite a few emotions running through me as I decidedly make him aware of the important stuff. "The fairies that attacked us were after me, so I'm sorry about that, but hopefully they'll assume I'm lost to vampires now."

"I am used to being targeted. Although it is the first time that I'm targeted because of someone else and not something I've done myself." He smile tells me that he's humored more than anything and I find myself more at ease, letting my guard down for the first time as I observe him while I think.

"Godric." I say, getting his attention, and I smile mischievously. "I was wondering, would you be willing to take me somewhere tonight?" Eric looks surprised, opening his mouth to speak but being cut off by his maker instantly.

"Eric, there were some things I had hoped you would do for me, would you do so while I take our new friend out on the town?"

"Of course, master, what is it you need?" Smiling, I thank Godric quietly as I turn and return to my room for shoes and socks.

"So what is this about?" Godric asks, his eyes expertly watching the road as I speak and he finally smiles. "I know just the place for all of that."

The large store is unbelieve at first, but I do my best to stay close to Godric as I feel comfortable that way as I browse the aisles. He pushes a cart in front of us, and I'm sure my eyes nearly alight when I find exactly what I'm looking for, taking a deep breath as I start to pick out the prime parts of dried plants. It's the most extensive apothecary shop I've ever seen and he guides me through different areas as I slowly find everything I need before we get checked out and return to the SUV.

We come back into the hotel room and I have just got everything arranged into groups in bags on a low table when I glance at the clock, shocked to see it is only an hour before sunset as Eric comes in the front door and Godric slyly goes out of the room.

Eric ends up leaving me speechless when I see that he's brought me a takeout dinner from somewhere which is still steaming hot when I open it, the smirk on his face proof that he knows he's done a good thing. "So what now?" He asks, anticipation on his face as he looks down at me from his greater height.

"Now I am going to eat this, thanks to you and I will work with this stuff through the day while you rest." His smirk falls slightly but curiosity is plain and clear as he eyes what I have in the bags on the table. "You are staying here tonight, right?" I had assumed that the night before he came in after I was nearly asleep.

"Yes, and since you seem to have something to do, I will go ahead to leave you in peace." With a wish of good luck to me he goes to his room, closing the door and leaving me alone as I arrange everything out of the bags. I check off a mental list, further grateful for the store that seemed to have everything I could image which Godric had told me was a craft store.

"What will this be?" The quiet question makes me laugh when Godric appears outside his door, and I level him with a light smile.

"It is a surprise, even to me, since I don't control the image just the power behind it." He nods, understanding clear as he seems to have a grasp of how fairy powers work and he disappears into his room assumedly to go to his day rest.

Without another word of interruption he goes off to the bedroom, reminding me to use the phone for room service food if I wish, and the door clicks shut softly behind him.

When I'd been small, I'd found a book in granddaddy's library detailing an art known as Origin Paintings, in which our lights helped us to connect to the recipient to create an image meaningful to specifically them. Eric had already proven to be worthy to me, and I was firmly interested in pursuing him, so I had thought this would be a perfect present to thank him for his recent hospitalities. I start as soon as the sun rises by using my light and fusing a set of garden stones into a rough mortar and pestle. The plants and natural occurring substances that I am to use to make the pigments all work perfectly, making me smile as I set into my chosen task.

It takes several hours, midday approaching by the time I'm adding liquid and getting the right thickness for each color in a series of cups. Several wood pieces and a bundle of horse hair fall to my light next, twisting into a rough paint brush, and part of the wood going to pulp to create a thick but smooth two foot by three foot dry parchment. It's slightly rough to the touch to hold the colors well, however it appears to have a gloss that will complement the image and I commend myself for remembering how to do this so precisely. Finally getting ready I center myself, bringing forth my light to illuminate my entire arms, and close my eyes after I have arranged the colors in front of me as well as the parchment to let my light guide my hand.

Thoughts of Eric fill me, everything Godric told me about his past on our drive to the craft store also influencing the tone as the magic takes hold, filling the room with light as I start allowing the colors to flow with each brush stroke. A stormy sea scene takes form, the sky betraying a sunset with the barely visible glow of the sun on the horizon and a rocky shoreline with grassy golden wheat fields along the bottom of the image. There's something that strikes me as it fills in further, my hands moving faster than I was capable when I was a child, and I realize that this is more like a photograph. Reaching deeper, I try to let more out, sensing that there is something extra that I am missing and I am right when my hand flicks between paint bowls and the wet surface. A ships is painted into the distance in the raging water, not extremely large but carved from wood with great detail, the top half of the ship engulfed in flames as the final detail. I go about finishing detailing the rest of the painting with small strokes for a while, before crystallizing the image to be solid and unbreakable.

As my light fades, I check the clock, surprised that it is only a couple of hours past noon as I'm nearly done. As a last touch I sign the corner of the painting as from me, and to Eric in small clear print. Cleaning up, I make sure to throw away and break down my unused materials and promise myself to do the same sort of painting for Godric at some point. Sitting the painting flat on the table I look over it before going to my room. It's probably the most realistic thing I've ever managed, and I hope it's nothing that will upset him, the otherwise beautiful image haunted by the burning ship far off the coast.

A quick shower cleans off the color stains on my hands from when I was making the paints, collapsing against my pillows and feeling more fae and less animal than I have in a long time before sleep takes me. When I wake I'm not sure of the time, but I hear the muffled sound of Eric and Godric speaking, getting dressed and put together at least somewhat before exiting my room.

I'm surprised to see a slight line of red around Eric's eyes, indicating that he had been crying at some point, and I'm unsure how to react as silence stretches for several seconds before he mercifully speaks. "You have my utmost gratitude for such a gift. Godric explained it… it looks as though you were there."

"Yeah, that's how the magic works. It picks at pivotal parts of your life, and it's usually something that won't upset you in the wrong way but I can never be sure." I say, rambling slightly and he smirks at my uncertainty when my stomach growls loudly.

"You're hungry?" He asks and I feel heat rising up my cheeks as I feel flattered at his caring.

"I guess I forgot to eat my food all day." Despite looking disapproving he doesn't say anything right away, instead giving me a long look for a second.

"Would you allow me to take you to dinner?"

I can feel my blush draining with the rest of my color as the thought of eating in public in a human form puts a strange thrill of fear through me and I'm surprised when he growls. "Nothing would harm you while I am there." Seeing where his thoughts are for what caused my fear I feel further flattered, but ease his worries.

"I haven't interacted with others much for a very long time. You two are the first." I say the last part quietly and they look surprised. "I'm a bit nervous to be around in a crowded restaurant, and I worry that I might hurt someone by accident if I get surprised or something. You never know what might happen."

"Sookie, I very much doubt any vampires would object to seeing you flit around as long as you don't do any lasting damage. The fae are thought to be nearly extinct, but the more ancient of vampires know that they simply withdrew from the human plane of existence." Godric states and I wonder if it's true, glancing at Eric who is still staring me down.

"That's settled then, do you want to get ready to go?" Deciding that I will trust Eric to keep an eye out, I head to the bathroom.

Eric is waiting by the door when I come back, Godric gone, and he gives me a wide smile. "Where is the painting?"

"I sent it with one of my employees to be safely convoyed to one of my vaults. It will be scanned, and I'll make digital copies to put in several houses around the world. The original will stay safely in a vault while my new home is being built, then I'll put it into my bedroom." His answer is smooth, ready, and he shows me out the door before closing it securely behind us.

"How long does it take to build the new house?" I ask, caught off guard when his arm comes across my shoulders and I'm held closer to his side inside the elevator as the doors slide closed.

"Only a few days. I own a large amount of land under multiple aliases all around this area where many foundations are already laid and there are lots of viable places to construct a home at any time so that I can easily relocate. Also, I will be declaring you as mine, should it be a problem." A laugh bubbles up my throat and he looks down at me, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Godric said that you'd likely claim me and I already assumed as much, but it's amusing that you're actually telling me beforehand."

"Do not make any mistake," he speaks, looking down at me seriously, "I am _very_ much interested in truly claiming you and I will do my best to include you in my plans as much as possible from this point forward, which includes courting you to the best of my ability. That also means protecting you and to do so I will make it well known that you are mine by any who challenge us."

I'm silent, not sure what to say but wrapping my arm lightly around his waist as the elevator stops at the ground floor, opening for us a moment later. He matches his stride to mine and we make our way to the hallway where we pass through a barrier and end up in the area that Godric showed me through the night before. There's a different way that I am watched this time, a few of the faces I recognize from the last time and their expressions become stony after they look on for a minute to see who I'm with. I wonder if Eric is well known and conclude that he must be with his club that we visited, a person outside the door to the hotel handing him a key to an SUV parked nearby. Opening the passenger seat for me, I get in and he closes it only to appear next to me less than a second later.

"I hope you know that I can only read some English, I was raised to read and write the fae language and didn't practice writing English, only speaking it." He nods, turning into traffic and taking us down the road.

"Just ask and I shall guide you on the restaurant menu, but the place we're going is known for having prized meats and I thought you might like a steak." Nodding, I agree that it sounds good, wondering how long it took him to decide on a meat place given that I am usually a tiger.

"What about your meal for the night?" He looks at me, seemingly surprised that I would consider it, and after a moment the corners of his mouth tug up.

"My meal will come from a bottle later tonight, perhaps after you have eaten and are enjoying a dessert?"

Shaking my head, I frown slightly. "I can't have anything with too high of a sugar or it disrupts my light, makes it harder to control as it wants to burn off that energy."

"So why don't you burn it off? Shoot your light or train your abilities."

It's almost painful that I want to laugh, looking at him sideways as I know he can sense my mixed emotions on the subject. "I trained a long time ago, before I lived in the swamp, and my training doesn't undo with time as a normal creature's would. There should be no problem for me to manifest my full power at any moment should I need to."

"What was your trainer like?" His voice is low, nothing being given away as he navigates the lanes of cars and turns at the corner.

I'm stuttering mentally at his question and I realize that this is what he wanted, to narrow down who traumatized my past by reading my reactions and I sigh as I look down at my hands. "They trained me, and well, you reap what you sow. That's one of the reasons I am wanted by some of the fae, the destruction of a large portion of a city and many lives including the lives of my captors when I finally had enough are all on my hands."

He's silent, his expression blank when I sneak a glance at him and I look out the window as he pulls into a parking lot several minutes later. "Sookie… I do not fear you and I wish to keep you as mine. For the first time, I have met someone apart from my maker that I feel I would gladly give my existence to protect. They say that vampires are not capable of emotion, and I have always believed as much, but recently I find myself questioning that." My door is opening a split second later and he reaches towards me, taking my hand when I offer it up to pull me along next to him into the entrance of a nice looking restaurant.

Feeling slightly self-conscious, I stare down at the dark lounge pants and plain t-shirt I'm wearing, certain that I'll stick out. "Do not worry, nobody will mind. I do believe that I will also take you shopping after we leave here, since I would like to provide you with a slightly better wardrobe."

Nodding, I accept the gesture and follow him through a large fancily carved wooden door. A man in a dark vest, white long sleeve shirt and black slacks is behind a podium inside the door, a book open in front of him and he looks up with a polite smile. "Welcome to the Plaza, do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, Northman plus one human." The man glances down at his book for only a second before looking us over with a scrutinizing stare and Eric growls loudly when he looks at me for longer than necessary.

"Right then." Reaching down he pulls up two differently colored menus from inside the podium and leads us back through a doorway without another word.

"We will take a few minutes before we order anything." Eric speaks up, dismissing the man as he gestures for me to sit. Our table is set behind a VIP labelled area with a partition cutting off the view of the rest of the restaurant.

Sitting down, he takes the seat next to me and I breathe deeply, focusing and lighting my finger before touching it to the table with purpose as the light sinks into the wood. "There, now we can speak and as long as we're not loud it should sound muffled to everyone even the vampires."

"That's very useful." The compliment makes me smile, opening the menu that the waiter handed me while Eric puts his on the other side of the table. "A live donor menu, which I am not interested in." He explains at my questioning look, and I look down, my cheeks reddening.

"What does this say?" Pointing, he leans over, speaking as I move my hand to read off the things listed as being in the different dishes. My mouth waters at he keeps telling me about the different things listed, and a woman appears around the wall with a notepad just as I've decided on a large sirloin steak with a few vegetable sides.

Ordering it to be cooked rare makes Eric almost laugh, his chest visibly moving but no sound coming out and the waiter doesn't comment before trotting off to return a minute later with my drink. "This place seems really stuck up." I notice the way the waiter holds his back rigid, seeming to snap to attention as soon as he goes back out into the main room of the restaurant.

"Yes, the owner is very uptight. I've tried to get him to be more laid back but he insists that it helps to keep a standard which is just preposterous. If the customer pays their bill, then I am not much concerned with their appearance." Finding it hard to believe that he would try to get someone to have fun with how strictly his business seemed to be run when I was there, I take a drink, amusement clear from me I'm sure.

"You don't seem like the 'laid back' type." I finally say and he smirks, leaning back in his chair.

"There are many who would want nothing more than to knock me down from my place, so of course my public face is rather strict. Nothing less is expected of a vampire my age, since fun and carefree attitudes are seen as causes of the true death amongst our kind." Thinking for a second, I tap my finger to the table.

"So can I expect you to have a 'public' face with me, or a different one?"

He's caught off guard by the question, opening his mouth to reply a moment later with a salacious grin but stopping and looking rather unhappy when a waiter appears with my appetizer interrupting us. Glaring at the young man's back, Eric continues as soon as he's gone. "There is no 'face' when I am with you, only me. Once we are bonded, you will be able to feel my emotions, and then you will know what I mean." Feeling slightly guilty, I see his eyebrow raise and try to ignore it as l take a bite of a bread stick, relishing the new taste before relenting with a sigh and meeting his questioning gaze.

"We are already bonded once, from the blood you gave me in Texas. There's no such thing as a tie if the fae is willing, it jumps straight to bond. I think you're blocking your emotions from me on reflex, otherwise I'd feel you a little as well." He is still, not moving until a second later when I notice that his fangs are down as he opens his mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

"Then you are already mine?" I'm not sure what to say, getting that strange sensation once again of feeling small beneath his stare and he is millimeters away from my face. "I hope that you know I am sincere in saying I will not harm you, ever, of my own will." I feel it when he removes the block he had in place, letting me feel as he's reveling happily in the new information I just gave him. He feels protective as well, intrigued and on alert. My stomach warms as I consider it all, feeling more at ease with him and the grin on his face is genuine, his fangs showing with no malice detectable.

He leans the rest of the way, kissing me lightly and making me shiver when he pulls away, wanting to crawl in his lap and purr. "You're incredible." He mutters, his hand caressing my cheek, his thumb running over my hairline and pulling at a lock of hair for him to twirl between his fingers. The growl that rises in his chest brings the moment to a close as he turns, baring his fangs threateningly at the waiter standing halfway around the end of the partition.

His steps are hurried as he deposits the plate in front of me along with a knife and fork, disappearing a second later as Eric's eyes never leave him and I find that I like what I see when he's being territorial. Of course he notices in the bond, giving me a questioning look which I ignore and he only smirks as I take the first bite of my steak. "I can see why the prices on the menu were so high, this is really good."

"Yes, a few of my underlings recommended the place and I thought it would work well for tonight." A flick of his eyes towards the partition, as well as an agitated feeling coming into the bond tells me that he knows someone is coming. Just a second later a tall brunette woman steps around the dividing wall, eyeing me with a scowl before turning to Eric with a sickly sweet expression.

"What are you doing here, Mags?" He demands, unmoving, but his rigid body says it all as he seems prepared to tear her apart. Doing my best to ignore her, I eat my steak, not returning her gaze as she attempts to stare me down.

"Somebody mentioned that you had a new pet, but they said it was of the bitey four legged variety, not a human tart. Although she does smell rather special." Her voice is condescending and I feel Eric's temper rising, a red tinge to his emotions, and I put a hand to his arm without thought making the red disappear when he looks at me instantly.

"Who is your friend?" I ask innocently, looking up at Eric with wide eyes as though I haven't a clue and he catches on with a smirk.

"Sookie, this is Mags. She oversees some of the vampires in areas five, four and one." He puts an arm around my shoulders and I lean back into his touch, seeing her eye twitch as I smile brightly up at her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She seems caught off guard by how welcoming I am, glancing to Eric and back to me.

"Who are you to believe you may address me with such familiarity?" I blink as though considering the question and Eric doesn't step in, waiting to see what I'll do which emboldens me.

"Well, I am a fae visiting the human world and with a flick of my hand I can leave you in ashes, so how about we be more polite to people we haven't met, hmm?" My cheerful yet condescending tone seems to set her off base further as she drops her fangs, growling loudly a second later. I lift my hand quickly, twisting together a bright golf ball sized pool of energy and floating it slowly closer to her as she steps back, a harsh expression on her face as she looks outraged. "Yes, you sense it, and that's just a little ball!" I chuckle, Eric feeling quite still next to me and I glance to see that he is watching Mags closely. "Now, will we try those introductions again?" I snap my finger, surprised but not as I remember how I used to taunt someone and the ball of light flashes back into my chest.

She looks unmoving for a second before standing straight and smoothing her features, her voice hard though when she finally decides to speak. "I am Mags, second manager of vampires indebted to her majesty Queen Sophie Anne of Louisiana. It is good to meet you, fairy, might I inquire as to why you are in her majesty's area?"

"Well, I suppose. I killed a multitude of my kind who wanted to harm me and that pissed off about half of the remaining population, so I decided to come here to avoid getting my head chopped off." My cheery disposition seems to make her unsure when combined with the words and she is silent for a moment before looking to Eric as though she's lost on what to say.

He looks down at me with surprise and I give him a stare as though it's obvious. "I grew up dealing with fae royalty, and I've learned there's no point in trying to shade the facts. Besides, look at her face, she wasn't ready for me to be so blunt and that shows how untrained she is or she would have been prepared."

There's a moment of silence before a barking laugh comes roaring from him for a moment and he pulls me into his lap, growling with a grin up at the vampire Mags who is now officially out of her depth. "My bonded is quite right, you should have been prepared for anything, and you shouldn't have come in so halfcocked with someone unfamiliar present. The queen won't do anything about it, but her child Andre is the one you answer to, yes? I will be notifying him of your petulance." Her fangs are down as she growls at him, opening her mouth but saying nothing and finally snapping her jaw shut as she seems to think better of whatever it was before disappearing.

"You are incredible. Simply incredible." Eric breaths into my hair and I feel comforted to be held in his arms while I laugh a little.

"I have no time for uppity ones in power who believe they have more power than they really do. Her sense of entitlement to your time and being bothered me." I speak openly, laying back against him happily.

"Why is that?" He asks, slightly amused.

"You know why." I say seriously and his face becomes similarly tense as he stares down at me, his hand suddenly on my back and I flinch involuntarily as his fingers follow the lines.

"Likely, these will heal with enough of my blood over time." I'm not sure what to say, his quiet words bouncing around in my head until he sits me back into my chair to face him.

"Are you sure you want to keep one with so many problems?" I ask quietly and he feels outraged for half a second.

"The only problem I have yet to find is that I have yet to bond you to me fully and unlock all of your secrets." Blushing, I'm unsure what to say and glance down at my plate to continue eating my steak while it's still warm.

"Mags likes you, and I think that's the real reason she was here, are there any other admirers I should know about who may take offense to my mere presence?" I ask after a swallowing a bite.

The cocky grin on his face tells me plenty and I roll my eyes as I chew. "Yes, there are many who would wish to join with me, but I will not tolerate a slight towards you over something as petty as jealousy."

"I would imagine that I am going to be happy acting more often as a tiger when we are out, especially as my senses are sharper that way." He nods, watching me finish the steak and taking my hand after I take a drink of my water.

"There is a clothing store just down the street, so let us be off." I follow closely to his side, ignoring stares as he slips a card to the man at the exit and waiting to receive a receipt with the card back before we leave. There are a few people on the street but no large crowds and he has an arm around my waist as we walk down the pavement. I glance around at the eye catching neon lights, taking it all in when he directs me into a tall building with a bright red neon sign I can't read before we're in the gold and wood accented glass door.

"Welcome, can I help with something?" A woman approaches us once we're inside, and he nods, gesturing towards me.

"We need to get her exact sizes figured out, then we'll browse around on our own." Nodding, a white tape appears in her hand with notches marked all along it and he looks down at me. "She's going to measure you, alright?"

"It's fine." I reassure him and the woman steps closer, wrapping the white tape around me in all different ways telling us different measurements and sizes that I do my best to remember but can't although I know Eric will.

"Alright, well the things to best fit her will be on this side, with waist up items in the front, waist down in the back and a selections of dresses in the middle. Checkout is right there." She points to a desk behind a rack of clothes by the front door, partially hidden from view as she goes to take up her station.

Showing me to towards a selection of shirts, his hand falls to my lower back. "Do you know what you would like to get?" I frown, shaking my head and he chuckles. "I assumed as much, so look and see if there's anything that catches your eye."

I wander ahead of him between several tables and display manikins, examining several different styles and feeling different fabrics. After several minutes I see that Eric is picking out the things I had looked at and liked but not picked up yet and holding it folded over one arm. "How much are you going to buy?" I ask and am left speechless when a basket has appeared in his hands, a smirk on his face as he picks up several more things to add to it.

Skimming the rest of the shirts and only expressing like for a few because he's already grabbed so many, I pass into the bras and corsets and blush when he's grabbed several before we get over to the dresses. I do my best not to look at the high price items, the numbers making me almost want to walk away, but I look anyway and he disappears with several towards the front desk before following me into the pants with an empty basket.

The underwear section is an embarrassment all of its own and he takes it upon himself to get several of different colors of the few styles I like before going into the pants. I find the colors and cuts impressive, liking them and afterward feeling as though I may have gotten carried away but trying not to think of it too hard I go into the shoes. A pair of sandals go on top of the jeans along with sneakers and some short heeled wedges.

After some socks and belts, we end up back at the checkout and Eric has me pick out a couple of fashionable jackets before everything is rung up. He pushes a card to her before she can say a price and I'm thankful for small mercies, her hands working quickly to bag everything and she hands it all over to him.

"How do you feel with all the people around?" He asks when we're outside and I look up, not expecting him to ask but answering after a second.

"It is not so bad, since you're a void and not bearing down on my mind as much."

"Void?" I can feel that he is trying to figure out how to take being called that, and realize it could be taken the wrong way before explaining further.

"I am telepathic, but it's not well controlled. My shields break easily and I can't stop the thoughts from rushing in, but vampire minds are voids, so I can't hear you. You're a void which helps to block out the other minds because you're so close. The silence is nice and peaceful when we're touching, since my telepathy is stronger with touch." He stares down at me surprised and I wonder what the problem is.

"Telepath?" Muttering the word, he seems to be in amazement for a second before leaning closer. "I would advise against saying as much out loud any more, since that information could put a very large target on you. Such a thing would be highly coveted by any vampire."

It's barely detectable, but there's a slightly triumphant feeling from him in the bond, and I look up at him with a smile. "Well, aren't you a lucky duck then."

The cocky smirk on his face tells it all as we walk down the street, getting back to the vehicle quickly for him to put everything into the back while I sit up front. We are just about to leave the place when a vibrating noise catches my attention and he pulls a phone out of his pocket, answering it immediately. "Northman."

"Yes, my sheriff, what are you into this evening?" I hear the voice on the other end, my hair prickling as I immediately don't like her tone.

"Sophie Anne, what might I do for you this night?" His tone is dry but not offending and she laughs.

"A certain Mags has been in touch with me, and it would seem that you managed to lure out a fairy. Would you care to explain this?" Her tone is accusing, as though he knowingly did something to bother her.

"Yes, your majesty, I have a fae in my possession. I am unsure what relevance this has?" He is pushing to get to the point and she sounds annoyed.

"I demand you bring me the fairy, so that I may convince it to stay here within my home and seduce her into my collection. When can I expect you?"

"I am sorry to inform you this way your majesty, but the fairy is my bonded, and I will not be giving her up. Should that be a problem, you should speak with Godric, who by the way is residing with me now. Good evening." He ends the call, turning the phones vibrate off and smirking at me. "She has no power over you."

"Yes, I am aware and I already do not like her." His laugh is infectious and he focuses ahead as we pull out onto the road.

The hotel is more deserted when we get back, only a few vampires there when we are walking through the vampires lobby and we are in the elevator soon. When the hallway opens in front of us I'm surprised to see that the single door to our left is open, a cart sitting outside with blood stained sheets piled atop it. "What happened here?" He demands of the maid that appears as we're approaching and she looks surprised to be spoken to.

"Oh, I'm not sure. It was assumed to be a donor accident but nobody is missing or reported as injured so we are sure the vampire already healed his donor and took care of things." Eric nods, eyeing things as we pass, and he secures our door once we're inside.

"Do you want to take your clothes to your room? I am going to prepare a drink for myself." Not letting that phase me I take the bags with a broad smile and step into my bedroom, sensing that Godric is not in the other bedroom and I wonder where he went but not minding that he's gone. I had considered offering my blood to Eric, and this seems like the perfect time, quickly cleaning up in the bathroom before going back out to where he's pulling a glass of red from the microwave.

"Here, let me stir that, can you find me a towel?" He's back a second later with a towel, stopping short when he sees the glass laying sideways in the sink as the liquid pours down the drain and I sit up on the countertop. "Oops, looks like I spilled it. I guess I'll have to replace it." The tone of my voice says it all and he flashes in front of me, the towel on the counter next to me while hands fall to either side of my hips and he stares down at me seriously.

"Do not tease." His voice is slightly raspy and I smile softly.

"I'm not. I had planned to offer soon anyway, and after my dinner is the perfect time. I'll be replenished by morning." He leans forward, a click sounding with the drop of his fangs and he captures my lips, careful not to cut my skin as he kisses me roughly. I'm almost in a daze with my hands in his hair when he's suddenly laying kiss after kiss down my neck, breathing heavily and I feel him rubbing soothingly at the bond a moment before he bites.

It's a hard pinch, but not much more, and it fades quickly to a pleasant tingling sensation while I arch up against him. When he pulls hard several times over it sets my body on fire, my legs locking around his waist and I don't register what he does with how fast he moves when his bleeding wrist is before my mouth. I latch on as he returns to my neck, and I feel the bond expand in an explosion of light before my eyes. "Mine." He snarls in my ear, and I hold myself against him comfortably as he tends the wound at my neck, jumping when I hear the hotel door open and he growls louder.

"It's just me." Godric assures us, closing the door and locking it soundly. "Good to see you two getting along well." He comments before disappearing into the bedroom that's supposed to be Eric's.

"My fairy." He murmurs, his mouth at work on my neck for a moment more before his wrist disappears from my attention and he captures my lips with his own. There's a definite fog of enjoyment in my head and when he releases me I press against him and purr loudly as his arms come around me securely. "Just like a cat." His chuckle makes me smile broadly, looking up at him with a drunk expression and he eyes me with a small smile. Glancing at the bond, I'm surprised at what I feel there, purring harder and unwittingly nuzzling his chest.

"Some say that the cat picks its owner not the other way around." My whisper makes him laugh and he pulls me up to kiss him.

"I have heard that, yes. But usually it just means that nobody has appealed to the cat in the right way." His voice is like silk, soft and smooth in my ears and I relax giggling.

"You do smell like fairy nip." We're on the couch suddenly, my legs sideways as I sit in his lap while a cocky grin is on his face.

"Your tiger form most certainly thought so." Raising an eyebrow, I chuckle as I realize there may be some confusion.

"Actually, even when I'm a tiger, I have full faculties and it _is_ me. That form makes me feel much more secure, and I will likely remain in it should we be in the company of your… friends. It's just easier."

"Easier to what? Tear their arm off without punishment afterward?" His incredulous tone is also in laughter as he knows it's true and I smile, blushing while I glance towards the table.

"I suppose so, although I prefer to just repel with my light." I smile as I feel him looking into the bond and I hear the door close before I know that we've moved into my bedroom.

"Your light is quite impressive, but it seems to make you tired just as you are now, so you should go change for bed." Not arguing happily I trot off to the bathroom taking a pair of black sweat pants and a matching t-shirt before deciding to get a shower and turning the water on. The hot water makes me relax almost to the point of falling and I realize that I am indeed very tired as I change clumsily into my clothes, drying my hair halfheartedly. The floor is the only thing in sight of my tired eyes as I make my way to the bed by memory alone, settling into the sheets and not minding the hard cool body I curl against as I fall unconscious.

I can't believe what she's just done and offered as she sits on the counter looking like a perfect trap for any vampire.

"Do not tease." My voice is rougher than I want and she just smiles, making me further excited.

"I'm not. I had planned to offer soon anyway, and after my dinner is the perfect time. I'll be replenished by morning." Her words seal it and my fangs drop of their own accord, not seeming to bother her as I get closer and work my mouth against hers skillfully. She melts to my attention in the bond, her hands sinking into my hair and I decidedly like the light tugging of her fingers on my blond locks.

I wait until several seconds after I should to release her to breathe, trying to minimize any discomfort as I tilt her head slightly and kiss over her pulse. Her entrancing fairy scent invades my head despite my best efforts to stay level, such a loss of control usually making me want to bite down lethally hard but I find even that want is tempered by the small bond we have started. Holding it in my focus as much as possible to keep from making any mistakes I push calm to her end, knowing any struggle would undo me and I bite down swiftly afterward.

I feel in her end when the small pain turns as I pull, the taste and her resulting actions making me lose myself as I drink to no end. After six deep pulls I feel the weak bond suddenly pulsate through me, breaking me of my lost sanity and I bite my wrist instantly when I feel that her heart has slowed slightly. It's nothing that would kill her, but a couple more reckless pulls would have put her closer to that edge and the thought makes me feel troubled. Her easy acceptance of my blood and the second stage of the bond makes a thrill run through me and I grin despite myself as I return to her neck. "Mine." I confirm for myself as well as her after I take another small pull, leisurely licking at the weeping skin as she drinks.

When the door opens she jolts slightly, making me growl even though I know who it is. "It's just me." He says more for her benefit than anything else and I glare at him over her shoulder. "Good to see you two getting along well." His prod pulls her more out of the moment as he moves across the room and I speak as soon as he's gone.

"My fairy." I kiss over the marks on her neck again to elicit a new stroke of feelings through her before healing her completely by pricking my tongue and pulling my wrist away from her as it seals. She's in a daze, holding herself against me and purring which I find quite enjoyable to hear as I hold her possessively. "Just like a cat." I chuckle as I know it's partially true and she stares up at me with her mental state clear in her expression. I'm in wonderment for a moment as I realize how completely she has come to trust me, a strange emotion I've only ever felt for Godric at times coming over me much stronger than ever before and she responds enthusiastically.

"Some say that the cat picks its owner not the other way around." Her comment makes me laugh and I lean down, securing her into a kiss again for a second before I return the whisper.

"I have heard that, yes. But usually it just means that nobody has appealed to the cat in the right way." She giggles, and I feel her let go as I support her weight fully.

"You do smell like fairy nip." I move us to the couch, sitting her sideways in my lap and grinning cockily as she looks slightly surprised.

"Your tiger form most certainly thought so." She looks as though she's figured something out and gives me a small smile.

"Actually, even when I'm a tiger, I have full faculties and it is me. That form makes me feel much more secure, and I will likely remain in it should we be in the company of your stronger friends. It's just easier."

"Easier to what? Tear their arm off without punishment afterward?" She blushes, glancing away at the truth of my words, and while I had thought about it I was certain that she would never do anything unprovoked anyway.

"I suppose so, although I prefer to just repel with my light." She smiles as I feel her out through the bond, assessing her body as best as I can and knowing that the slight blood loss will soon affect her as I whisk us to her bedroom before she knows what I'm doing.

"Your light is quite impressive, but it seems to make you tired just as you are now, so you should go change for bed." I'm pleased that she follows direction when it's best for her, taking a seat in the corner of the room as she goes into the bathroom and I can hear her feet padding around. The shower turns on after a minute and while I didn't think she'd go so far as to shower, I don't mind and wait patiently as she takes her time. I feel her diminishing in the bond as she takes almost too long, her exhaustion slowly creeping up and overwhelming her. When she comes from the bathroom it looks like she doesn't even notice me nearby and I appear into the bed next to her intending to ask about staying with her as she sleeps but I take my answer as she wraps against my side a second later and is asleep immediately.

It feels quite enchanting to have her sleep so easily in her human form with not even the faintest bit of apprehension. Playing with her hand for a moment, something occurs to me and my hand moves over her back, the ripples beneath the thick shirt making me frown. I move just enough so that she's on the bed on her stomach, monitoring the bond and holding it close as I nudge up the back edge of her shirt. The thin strip of skin that appears is flawless, her lower back perfect for several inches when I feel a knotted scar with my fingers and almost don't want to continue to see it but do so anyway. Her shirt easily lifts up to just below her shoulders in a smooth pull and I freeze, clamping down on my tongue until well after it bleeds into my mouth as I stop myself from growling and waking her.

The patterns across her back are unmistakably from a whip, countless lashes having at one time destroyed the skin on her back and it looks to have healed very slowly with older scars visible under some of the newer ones. She stirs slightly, suddenly twisting and clutching the arm that was wrapped around to her back, holding onto me almost desperately as I feel the bond igniting. Images flooding through my brain make me silently snarl as she is frozen in fear and I feel it all, see it all, as she has somehow shared with me her memory of a time in captivity. I'm tense as the experience fades with a white light as she frees herself somehow and I find myself perched protectively around her.

I've never felt such a strong sense to want to keep anyone safe, not even my maker and her face makes my heart clench as it looks worried for a second until it smooths. I pull her into my side, turning and wrapping around her protectively as she settles against my chest, thoughts of locking her away in a tall dark castle away from the world teasing comically at the back of my mind.

For a moment at dawn I can feel Godric send me a questioning of whether or not I'm joining him, and he seems pleased and understanding when I deny him, making me wonder if he hadn't seen this coming. The sun pulls me to sleep but I fight it for a while until I feel the bleeds will start soon, and decidedly let myself rest as I don't want to create the mess.

When I rise I am pleased to find that she hasn't moved, her body fully compliant as I move her slightly and I nose against her neck gently as I find myself enamored with her sleeping form. Wanting nothing but to stay put I do so, enjoying her scent that fuzzes my complex thought processes and makes me lost in her until I feel her move slightly against me. She freezes when she registers my hand moving down her side slowly, but relaxing a second later as she takes a deep breath, my scent making her purr and she stretches against me making me growl as I'm entertained at her waking attitude. Kissing her skin makes her relax back, tilting her head willingly as I scent that she was right the night before and there's no trace of anything wrong with the levels of her blood supply now that she's slept.

"You are so nice." Her voice sounds more pleased and relaxed than I've ever heard her and I can't help but laugh silently, shaking against her as I kiss her neck to taste her skin a moment more.

"I do not believe I've ever heard such a thing from someone, even those in my bed."

"But you are, and I want you to be, so don't stop." I realize that she is completely correct, I cannot even envision treating her as I have some of those in the past and I cup her cheek, gently turning her face to look up at me fully.

Capturing her lips, I lean back a second later, smiling gently and feeling surprised at how natural it feels while I'm hovering over her as well as I find that I want to make her smile again. "You are the only who will ever see such things from me." It does the trick as she feels flattered and blushes, about to speak but cutting off when we hear someone knocking on the hotel room door.

I snarl in irritation at the interruption, leaving Sookie alone on the bed as I charge all the way out to the door and pull it open, revealing Andre in the hallway a moment later. "What the fuck are you doing here?" My displeasure with his presence is clear and he smirks, taking a deep breathe.

"Well, apparently, I am interrupting your time with something that is _quite_ heavily sought by our kind. You know why I am here, as the queen has demanded you release the fairy to my custody."

"That's not going to happen, go back to your childish maker." He looks indignant, taking a step into the hotel room as I step back to prevent him touching me.

"If you won't hand her over then I'll have to take her."

"What is the meaning of this?" Godric demands, appearing behind me, and it appears that Andre did not know he would be here based on the shocked look he lets slip for half a second.

"Your child is holding a fairy from the possession of the queen and refuses to comply with the crowns order."

Godric appears annoyed and steps up to my side. "The only one my child has here is his bonded, who he should be taking care of." He gives me a pointed look and I nod after a second as I understand, disappearing from Andre as Godric distracts him.

The fairy in question is standing inside the bedroom door, a small frown on her face and I look down at her for a long moment before proceeding. "I believe the only way the queen will leave us alone is if we're fully bonded, and I know-." I'm cut off as she puts a finger to my lips and while a normal person would have their hand removed for such a thing I wait happily as she smiles endearingly up at me.

"Kiss me." Not hesitating I do so, her hands in my hair as soon as our lips meet and she takes the initiative as she pulls me down to her neck. My fangs drop before I even know what I'm doing as I'm spurred on by her taunting feelings in the bond, my hands on her sides as I pin her gently to the wall with her legs around my waist and I growl as she pulls a little harder on my hair. "I have to drink from you too, remember?" She whispers and I don't think my growl has ever been as nonthreatening as when she happily takes the bleeding wrist I offer her a moment later and kisses my palm before starting to drink.

Chills run down my spine almost violently and she feels amused before being swept away by a hunger not her own as I bite down. She arches towards me, and I do my best not to lose myself as the bond engulfs us in a euphoria I've never felt before, her presence the only thing I care about as I hold her close. "Mine." My mouth drips with her blood and I relish the taste of her perfection, growling savagely before clamping back down and she moans against my wrist, her hands clenching the arm supplying her with my blood.

"Forever." She breathes out when my skin closes and she goes slack against me, my arms supporting her as she rests her head on my shoulder. I take her promise to heart and she feels it, not minding and I find that I can feel all of her in the bond. It feels as though if I looked closer I would see her actual thoughts, the amount of comfort and security she feels in my hold almost staggering me. She's an open book, but I feel that her mind is blank as she simply enjoys being held and I wonder how long it's been since she's seen any kind of positive attention. "The last time… it was when I was a child." I'm a little surprised that she answers my questions, but know that she must be able to see me through the bond as clearly as I can see her and I hold her closer.

"You are not going to lose me now, or forever. You are mine."

She smiles at my words, not responding verbally, and I growl happily as she floods me with affection as well as a multitude of other positive things as an undertone. "How old is my mate?" Her question makes me quirk a grin and I peck her on the lips.

"One thousand, four hundred and seven." I answer without hesitation after pulling back.

She giggles, and I find that I am smiling from the lightness of her feelings in the bond. "You're old."

"Perhaps, but I do believe that fae live for a while on their own, so how old are _you_?"

She feels slightly apprehensive but answers anyway, "Sixty, but my body is stuck at twenty three and will remain that way for about six hundred years before I start showing any signs of aging."

I'm surprised, not expecting it to be for more than a couple hundred years, and she doesn't move as she waits for me to react. "You're truly perfect." I whisper before capturing her in a kiss leaving her breathless, panting and flushed when I pull back. "None will take you from me, so let's go deal with the child queen's child." She nods, seemingly emboldened by my rising temper instead of reacting in any way negative and while I find it interesting I don't think it's a bad thing at all. She quickly changes to black tennis shoes, jeans, a t-shirt and a dark brown leather jacket before we leave the room, her head held high as she stays at my side.

"You asked to see me?" She asks of Andre and he looks her over with interest, making me want to snap his neck, although that is not unusual with his attitude.

"You are the fae?" He asks despite it being clear enough from her scent in the air, even if it is now melded with my own scent somewhat.

"Yes, what did you want?" I silently commend her for staying on point and Andre frowns.

"The queen of Louisiana, Sophie Anne Leclerq has invited you to take up a residence within her royal compound as one of her consorts, privy to all of the advantages and resources at the queen's retinue's disposal." She makes him scowl by barking a hard laugh, wrapping her arm around my waist and leaning against me in amusement lightheartedly.

"As though you think I would leave my mate?" Andre's eyes widen slightly and she continues without giving him a chance to speak. "Why shouldn't I kill you now?"

He sputters for a second, looking almost in disbelief that she said such a thing while I just smirk knowing that it would have to have happened eventually. Andre had always been troublesome, sticking his nose where it didn't belong just because he felt like it. "How do you believe to accomplish that?" He finally challenges and I cringe as I feel a burning energy swelling in the back of her mind through the bond, her hand glowing white as she lifts it towards him.

"I am fae, how do you think?" The small amount of color in his pallor drains and leaves him stark white, the realization that he's made a mistake dawning on him just as a ball of white energy sinks into his chest and he goes down to his knees.

His growl and the click of his fangs are all I hear a moment before he is falling away to a pile of ash on the floor, her light not even leaving behind the usual pile of gore.

"Well… I would say be careful of having such a powerful bonded but clearly you know that." Godric tells me with an approving smile, the block on our bond opened for a second as he sweeps me with his happiness at what I've found to hold close before withdrawing again.


End file.
